Tag: Switch Online

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Wave Race 64 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion pack on August 19

Just when I started to regret upgrading my Switch Online subscription to the ‘Expansion Pack’ tier, one of my favourite Nintendo 64 (N64) games makes its way to the service.

Wave Race 64, one of the first titles released for the N64, is a pretty straightforward racing title, only instead of cars and asphalt tracks, it features jet skis and tropical locales (and several dolphins). The game will make its way to Switch Online’s Expansion Pack tier on August 19th and follows last month’s Pokémon Puzzle League.

In a sense, Wave Race 64 was almost like a tech demo for the N64 when it was first released in 1996, showing off the console’s impressive water and physics tech. Though the game is simplistic by modern standards, it’s still remarkable a title this good-looking was one of the first games to release on Nintendo’s 64-bit system back in the mid-90s.

It’s worth noting that unlike its Wii and Wii U virtual console re-release, this version of Wave Race 64 still features the original’s Kawasaki jet ski branding. The game features four modes: ‘Championship Mode,’ ‘Time Trails,’ ‘Student Mode’ and a two-player versus option.

Nintendo’s ‘Expansion Pack’ online tier costs $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership (up to eight accounts).

Image credit: Nintendo

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Nintendo Switch Online is getting awful platformer Earthworm Jim 2

Nintendo’s next set of Switch Online titles include NES classics Dig Dug II and Mappy-Land, but also abysmal SNES platformer, Earthworm Jim 2.

Though the 1995 title featuring a worm named Jim was a graphical achievement of the era, it offers wonky hit detection, confusing level design and humour that just doesn’t land in the same way it did 27 years ago (talking cows aren’t funny anymore).

With this in mind, unless you’re looking for a nostalgic blast from the past, Earthworm Jim 2 is not worth your time. There are much better platformers available on Nintendo’s Switch Online service.

In Japan Harvest Moon is coming to Switch Online instead of Earthworm Jim 2, which seems entirely unfair because it’s arguably the best entry in the long-running faring series. All of these new titles will appear automatically in the SNES or NES app on your Switch if you’re already a Switch Online subscriber.

Switch Online includes a collection of several SNES and NES titles like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country, Super Metroid, Super Mario Bros., Kirby’s Adventure and more.

All three titles hit the subscription service on March 30th.

In Canada, the following Switch Online membership options are available:

  • One month (single account): $4.99
  • Three months (single account): $9.99
  • Twelve months (single account): $24.99
  • Twelve months family membership (supports eight Nintendo accounts): $44.99

Nintendo offers a more expensive Expansion Pack subscription tier that features Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 titles for $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership.

Image credit: Nintendo

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Mobile Syrup

3 new Sega Genesis games come to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack

Nintendo has added three new Sega Genesis titles to its Switch Online ‘Expansion Pack’ tier: Light Crusader, Super Fantasy Zone and Alien Soldier.

For the record, I’ve never heard of any of these titles despite spending a lot of time with the Genesis as a child.

You can find Nintendo’s description of each game below:

“In Alien Soldier, the acclaimed developers at Treasure invite you to take on the role of a bird-man with steel wings in his fight against 25 bosses. In this challenging game, you can learn new tactics with every defeat … or take advantage of that handy Rewind feature to perfect your run!

Super Fantasy Zone has you powering up the ever-appealing Opa-Opa across eight colorful planets!

In Light Crusader, also from Treasure, let nobility light your way through a lovingly crafted action-RPG.”

Last week, Nintendo added N64 classic F-Zero X to the Expansion Pack, and before that, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask made its way to the service. A selection of new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks also just hit the subscription platform.

Though Switch Online and its Expansion Pack tier still doesn’t offer the same number of titles as Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass platform, its selection of games has steadily improved over the past few months.

Nintendo’s ‘Expansion Pack’ online tier costs $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership (up to eight accounts).

Image credit: Nintendo 

Source: Nintendo

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo’s Switch Online N64 games are a buggy mess

Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo 64 games suffer from input lag, sound delays, frame rate problems and wonky controller layouts.

A quick glance at the popular gaming forum ResetEra reveals several posts focused on the issues. There are also reports across Twitter surrounding input lag issues, particularly with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

There are even graphical glitches in several games tied to fog, draw distances and water textures, as well as other weird quirks, including Mario Kart 64 thinking a Controller Pak is required to save time trial data.

If these problems were tied to a free emulator and ROM files, they’d be far easier to swallow. However, Switch Online Expansion Pack games are official emulations offered by Nintendo and at a pretty expensive cost, too. Nintendo’s new ‘Expansion Pack‘ online tier costs $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership (up to eight accounts).

Notable launch N64 titles include Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Yoshi’s Story, Mario Tennis 64, Super Mario 64 and more. Along with N64 titles, the subscription also includes access to Sega Genesis games like Ecco the Dolphin, Golden Axe, Contra: Hard Crops, Shining Force and more. It’s unclear if Sega Genesis titles also suffer from emulation issues.

It’s unclear what the source of the poor N64 game performance is, but it seems to be tied to shoddy, lazy emulation and the fact that these are likely ports of the Wii U Virtual Console versions of games. Hopefully, these are issues Nintendo can fix because right now, the additional Switch Online cost to access N64 titles isn’t worth it.

I’ve yet to test out N64 Expansion pack titles, but with these issues in mind, I think I’ll likely wait to see if Nintendo irons out the issues. That said, I do have a Switch N64 controller on order, so I’ll probably end up checking them out anyways.